1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a housing for receiving electric and/or electronic components, having a housing body, with a front that can be closed by a front door and with an open back that can be closed with a rear covering that can be attached to the body in an exchangeable manner.
2. Description of Prior Art
A switchgear cabinet having a rack is known from German Patent Reference DE 43 33 031 A1. This rack can be enclosed by lateral walls, a rear covering and a front door. A roof is placed on the top of the rack. The roof has an opening at the rear, into which vertical supporting braces are placed. The supporting braces are connected with the rear vertical profiled frame sections of the rack. The rack can be fastened on the ceiling or a wall of a room using support braces.
German Patent Reference DE 195 47 135 C1 shows a housing installed on a wall, which has a box-shaped base element. The base element has a rear wall, from which four lateral walls are beveled off in one piece. The open front of the base element can be enclosed by two hood-like partial doors. The rear wall has fastening receivers, by which the housing can be installed on a wall. The housing installed on a wall is intended for receiving only light loads.
It is one object of this invention to provide a housing of the type mentioned above but which can be installed on a wall or stand alone, wherein the change between the individual types of use can be simply performed, and wherein secure and solid fastening is assured for a type installed on a wall.
This object of the invention is achieved with the rear covering removed and a suspension device installed on the housing body, which has a wall that covers the open back of the housing. The suspension device is equipped with two or several fastening elements, which have fastening receivers accessible from an exterior of the housing.
In accordance with this invention, it is selectively possible, depending on the type of use, to fasten either the rear covering or the wall suspension device on the housing body. As a separate component, the suspension device can be designed statically in such a way that a dependable support of high loads is assured. With the removable covering, or respectively suspension device, it is possible to make the rear portion of the inner housing chamber accessible independently of the type of use. Installation operations inside the housing body can thus be easily performed. Installation on a wall can be easily performed because of the fastening brackets, which are easily accessible from the outside.
If the fastening brackets each have a fastening receiver, which is embodied as an opening and tapers opposite the direction of the force of gravity, an installation of the housing on a wall can be easily performed. For this purpose the housing is initially pushed on the wall fastening, for example using screws provided with dowels, with fastening receivers of the fastening brackets, and is then lowered. Pre-fixation of the housing in place is thus provided. The fastening brackets of the already hung housing can then be clamped to the wall.
In one design of this invention, the fastening brackets are arranged in the area of the upper horizontal edge of the rear suspension device and project past the latter and are easily accessible.
In this case, also at least one fastening bracket is applied at the lower horizontal edge of the rear suspension device, which projects past the underside of the housing body. It is thus prevented that the housing tilts away from the wall, for example when a pulling force is exerted on the front door.
To prevent the wall of the attachment device from becoming deformed because of unevenness in the wall, the fastening brackets are connected via a spacer with the suspension device. The fastening bracket has a flat contact face, and the spacer maintains the contact face spaced apart from the wall. When using three fastening brackets it is then possible to realize a statically unequivocally defined three point fastening.
To reduce the outlay for parts and manufacturing, the rear covering is hinged to the housing body by means of hinges, wherein a hinge element of the hinge is screwed to a connecting edge which extends parallel with respect to the rear of the housing body. With the hinge element disassembled, the suspension device can be fixed in place on the fastening receiver for the hinge element by a fastening screw.
In one embodiment of this invention, a continuous edge, which projects in the direction toward the housing body, is bent away from the wall of the suspension device. A fastening flange is angled off the edge on at least two oppositely located sides of the suspension device and is oriented toward the inside of the housing and lies parallel with respect to the wall of the suspension device. The fastening flange has fastening receivers in which cage nuts are fastened. The fastening flange rests on an edge of the housing body. A fastening screw is passed through a screw receptacle and is screwed into the cage nut. This construction of the fastening device is useful for supporting large loads. A rigid construction results if the fastening flange is connected, for example welded, with two longitudinal ends with the facing edge extending at right angles with respect to the fastening flange.
Good load support can also be achieved if the housing body has horizontal and/or vertical profiled frame sections, to which the suspension device is screwed.